After a successful first season in the newly organized Great Lakes Premier League, the club has received and, accepted, an invitation to join the NPSL.

"By joining the NPSL, you get the national affiliation from a recruiting perspective -- recruiting supporters, sponsors and players," Ann Arbor co-owner Bilal Saeed said. "It's also an opportunity to potentially get all major soccer clubs in Michigan playing under one roof."

Made up of more than 80 teams from around the country, the NPSL has grown steadily since 2002, including the addition of 30 expansion teams in 2014.

Beginning in 2016, Ann Arbor will join the likes of Detroit City FC, Lansing United and the Michigan Stars in the Midwest Region, which was made up of 13 teams last season. The door also is open for other GLPL teams, including Grand Rapids FC, to potentially follow Ann Arbor's lead.

"The NPSL sees a vision of unified soccer in the region to help elevate the game of soccer in Michigan," Saeed said. "The best way to do that is together, and they were clear about that vision."

Ann Arbor will play a similar schedule as it did in 2015, with the potential to extend its season by qualifying for playoffs. Its home games still will be played at Pioneer High School's Hollway Field, and Saeed said fans can expect little change in the gameday experience, with an increase in the level of soccer.

The news of Ann Arbor's exit from the GLPL comes shortly after the league expanded to add three teams, including Toledo United. While it's unclear which teams will follow Ann Arbor, sources close to the league have made it clear they plan to continue with the 2016 season.

"I really think the Great Lakes Premier League could have been something special, and it still could be, but the NPSL is a little more established, and that can go a long way with how quick this business is moving," Saeed said.

Ann Arbor finished its debut season 5-5-5 overall, with a 2-1 record against NPSL teams. After losing to Lansing United 3-0 early in the year, the club bounced back to beat AFC Cleveland 3-2 and Lansing 3-0.

A handful of players have followed Hebestreit, including TJ Tomasso, Kyle Breitmeyer, Johnathon Heslop and Brooks Belhart. Others are expected to follow before the start of the 2016 season.

Similarly, Rudland expects some of his Lansing players to make the move to Ann Arbor in the near future, as the club settles into its new home in the NPSL.

Justin P. Hicks is a sports reporter and storyteller for MLive / The Ann Arbor News. If you have a unique story you'd like to share, you can reach me at jhicks3@mlive.com. I'm also on Twitter, Facebook and MLive.